What is an FCPXML File?

If you've been handed an .fcpxml file and didn't know what to do with it, this guide is for you. FCPXML is Apple's project interchange format, and once you understand what it is, it's actually quite useful.

FCPXML in plain English

FCPXML (Final Cut Pro XML) is an XML file that describes a Final Cut Pro project. It contains:

• Project settings (frame rate, resolution, color space)
• The event and project hierarchy
• Timeline sequences
• Video and audio clips
• Titles, effects, and color corrections
• Captions and subtitles

Think of it like a written-down description of an FCP project. Anything you can do in the FCP interface, you can describe in FCPXML.

Where do FCPXML files come from?

Three sources:

1. Final Cut Pro export — File → Export XML. You can export the entire project, or just the marked clips.
2. Third-party tools — Converters (like ours), frame.io, color grading tools, and other apps that need to talk to FCP.
3. Hand-written — XML is text, so technically you can write it by hand. Practically, this is a bad idea because the schema is complex and brittle.

How to open an FCPXML file

FCPXML files are XML, but you can't "open" them like a document. They're meant to be imported into Final Cut Pro:

1. Open Final Cut Pro.
2. Go to File → Import → XML.
3. Select the .fcpxml file.
4. FCP creates a new project populated with the content from the XML.

You can also view FCPXML as text. macOS will open it in TextEdit or Xcode; Windows will open it in Notepad or Visual Studio Code. Just don't expect to be able to edit it sensibly without understanding the schema.

What is an FCPXMLD bundle?

Sometimes you'll see files with the extension .fcpxmld (with a trailing "d"). These aren't files — they're folders (bundles) that look like files in macOS. Inside each bundle is an Info.fcpxml file plus all the assets (videos, audio, images) referenced by that project.

To open a .fcpxmld bundle, just double-click it in macOS — it opens in Final Cut Pro directly. To see what's inside, right-click and choose Show Package Contents.

Anatomy of an FCPXML file

Here's a minimal FCPXML file that creates an empty 1080p24 project:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE fcpxml>

<fcpxml version="1.14">
  <resources>
    <format id="r1" name="FFVideoFormat1920x1080p24"
      frameDuration="1/24s" width="1920" height="1080"/>
  </resources>
  <library>
    <event name="My Event">
      <project name="My Project">
        <sequence format="r1" duration="240/24s">
          <spine>
            <gap name="Gap" start="0s" duration="240/24s"/>
          </spine>
        </sequence>
      </project>
    </event>
  </library>
</fcpxml>

Notice the hierarchy: library → event → project → sequence → spine. Inside the spine go clips, gaps, titles, effects.

Common use cases

1. Moving a project between FCP versions

If you need to open a project in an older FCP version that doesn't support a newer feature, exporting as FCPXML (sometimes with version downgrade) gives you a workaround.

2. Automating repetitive work

If you have 200 product videos and need to apply the same title template to all of them, write a Python script that generates an FCPXML with all the projects, then import it once.

3. Color grading handoff

Color grading tools like DaVinci Resolve can import FCPXML to see the FCP cut and apply grades. Resolve then exports the graded result back to FCP via another FCPXML.

4. Captions and subtitles

This is what our Subtitle Workshop does. It converts SRT/VTT/iTT to FCPXML so you can import styled captions directly into FCP.

Common pitfalls

• Wrong uid references — Final Cut Pro's built-in effects have specific uid strings. Wrong uid → import fails or shows blank.
• Frame rate mismatch — If your XML uses 30 fps but your project is 23.976 fps, everything drifts.
• Missing param definitions — Some effects need specific parameters. Missing param → effect renders wrong.
• DTD violation — Elements must be in the right order. Forgetting a required attribute → import fails with cryptic error.

Create FCPXML without learning the schema

The JianHeBox Subtitle Workshop handles the schema details for you. Paste an SRT file, pick your style options, click download — you get a valid FCPXML that imports cleanly into Final Cut Pro.

The tool supports SRT, VTT, FCPXML, iTT, TTML, SCC, ASS, SUB, SBV, Avid DS, CSV, and TSV — whatever you need to import into Final Cut Pro.

Related Articles

• FCPXML Subtitle Converter Guide
• FCPXMLD Bundle Guide
• FCPXML vs SRT Comparison